John the Baptist and Jesus Christ Himself prepares us for His return.

Malachi 4:4-6

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 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:4-6

Moses directed attention to Jesus Christ, as did John the Baptist, and now it is time for us to focus our eyes upon Jesus. “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? Turn your eyes upon Jesus. There’s light for a look at the Savior and life more abundant and free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” [Church song].

Mt. Horeb, more commonly known as Mt. Sinai, is the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments among other statutes. These laws are detailed in Exodus chapters 20 to 31. Included are the laws regarding animal sacrifices, which served as atonement for the sin of the Israelites. These are often referred to as the “scarlet thread,” pointing to Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away our sin. Moses wrote about Jesus Christ, through the “scarlet thread,” as affirmed by Jesus’ words to the Jewish people: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me” (John 5:46).

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Hebrews 3:3-6

John the Baptist is linked to Elijah, who was prophesied to pave the way for the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ. The prophecy concerning John the Baptist at his birth was, “And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways…” (Luke 1:76). The Apostle Mark cites the Prophet Isaiah [Isaiah 40:3] in reference to John the Baptist: “As it is written in the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight’” (Mark 1:2-3).

The angel Gabriel referred to Malachi 4:5-6 when linking John the Baptist to Elijah, “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17

In context of the verses in this post, the phrase, “…the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” refers to the first coming of Jesus the Christ. His coming was a great day because He brought the Good News of the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. His coming was a dreadful day because He brought the warning of condemnation, judgment, and eternal hell for those who reject God the Creator. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

The phrase, “…lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” refers to the opportunity of repentance through the Salvation plan of God for whoever believes in Him through Jesus Christ, as quoted, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11